brown



'2 SheetsSheet 1.

T. H. BR'OWNQ Jr. Temporary Binder.

No. 237,954. Patented Feb. 22,1881.

:illr

m'ulllllllillllllT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2..

T H BROWN, Jr Temporary Binder. No. 237,954. Patented Feb,.22, 1881.

AQW' WITNESSES.

ai/wzwmaa N.PEIERS. PHOTO LTHOGRAPH WASHINGTON D c UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

THOMAS H. BROWN, JR, OF OHIGAGQILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO STEPHEN OLARY, OF SAME PLACE.

TEMPORARY BINDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 237,954, dated February 22, 1881.

\ Application filed October 20, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. BROWN, Jr., of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Temporary Binders; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a temporary binder of the general character described in Letters Patent No. 196,558, dated October 30, 1877, but

is more especially intended for the filing of letters and papers which it is desirable to permanently preserve. It has hitherto been customary to temporarily place such papers in an indexed filing-case as they are received. and when the case is filled to remove them, with or without the index, and place them in another case, usually cheaper or better adapted for their permanent protection.

My invention contemplates a construction of temporary binder in which the immediate receptacle of the papers, as they are currently received, is adapted to be bodily removed from an inclosing-case suited to daily use at the desk, and to be inserted in another and usually cheaper case, or one more especially suited for permanently inclosing the same on the shelf. By this means I am enabled to permanently secure the index in the file, and all trouble and delay incident to the transfer of the papers by the old method are avoided. In these particulars this invention differs from that for which I made application for Letters Patent September 15, 1879, wherein the subject-matter claimed is, first, the manner and place of hinging the cover; second, the construction of the case with an interior inclosure; third, the arrangement of the rod whereby the leaves of the index are made removable; and those devices are therefore hereby disclaimed.

Beside the combinations of the receptacle with the several outer cases mentioned, my invention embraces features of construction which will be hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows the outer current or temporary case closed in merchantable form. It contains both' the transferable file and the shelf case or permanent outer case, one within the other, as shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 3 shows the fillng-case and transferable file inserted therein, as it appears on the shelf. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are detached views of the transferable file, showing modifications of certain details. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the current-case, and Fig. 9 is a similar view of the same case having the file inserted properly for use. Figs. 10 and 11 are sectional views of the combination shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 12 is an under-side view of the bottom of the transferable file, showing an inexpensive mode of securing the elastic loop 1" thereto.

In the rectangular current-case shown in Fig. 1, A is the bottom, B is the cover, and O is the front. The front 0 is wholly secured to the top "B, and the sides S S and back are preferably divided in the inclined plane a b tlirou gh'the middle of the back, where the parts are hihged together, so that when the case is opened the top and bottom nest evenly upon the desk, as shown in Figs. 2, S, and 9. This case may be made of heavy straw-board properly covered to give it sightly appearance, or of light wood, or of other suitable material.

E is a rectangular shell, of heavy paper or of wood, inclosed on all sides but one, and having the notches 0' cut away on the free edges, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This is intended to be a permanent filing-case adapted to the shelf.

F is a file consisting of the bottom d, sides 8, back 70, and ledge Z, applied and secured to each other in the relative positions shown. The file F is provided with a series of indexleaves covered or surmounted by a heavier top leaf, M, all held permanently in place within the file bymeans of one or more rods,o, which have their ends fixed in the bottom dand ledge l, and pass looselythrough the leaves in order to permit them to be moved thereon for the admission of letters to be filed between them. The file Fis ofsuch size and form as to fitclosely in the case E, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. For merchantability the case E is also adapted to fit within the current-case A B C, so that the three parts may be packed for transportation, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Of course it is contemplated that in the use of the file system herein illustrated many permanent volumes composed of the parts E and Fwill be required as papers accumulate,while only one, or at most relatively few, of the current-cases will be needed; but as very often the use of the system will begin with the purchase of an equal number of said three parts, and as it is desirable to pack them as closely as possible for transportation, the relative sizes above described have been adopted.

The file F may be removably held within the current-case in the position shown by any suitable means. It is herein shown as being held by means of the metal lip 61, rising from the bottom A and forming part of the fastening-piece D. The front edge of the bottom (I of the file F is inserted beneath the lip d, and the back of the file is thenlowered into place. The lip should hug firmly upon the bottom (I, so that the back will bind somewhat as it is forced down, and thus be held by friction.

The upper leaf or lid,M, covering the indexleaves, is of heavy material-as straw-boardand is composed of two principal parts,m and a, joined by a flexible portion,h, located or extending a little in front of the ledge I, so that it may be lifted and the part on thrown back over the ledge in inspecting the contents of the file.

In Fig. 4 several alternative forms of springs are shown, by which, when the file is inclosed in either case, the contents are pressed down flat. For the temporary or current case alone I prefer the spring 12, made of bent wire and applied to the cover B of the case, as shown in Fig. 9, and operating as shown in Fig. 10. This springis shown in a former patent granted to me. For the permanent volume, if a spring is thought desirable, I prefer the bent flat sprin g1), inserted beneath the outer loop, 0, as shown in Fig. 7, or beneath an inner loop, 0, as shown in Fig. 6. Either of these flat springs will also operate in connection with the current-case, as will also the transverse spring 1;", set beneath the central loop, 0'. The last mentioned is not well adapted to use in the permanent case. It is preferred, in the current-case alone, that the spring be secured to the cover, for the reason that it is then lifted wholly out of the way with the cover of the case when the latter is thrown back, and for this reason the spring 1) may be generally used with this case, and one form of the spring 1) may be inserted when the file is transferred to the permanent case E.

The cover or lid M is also provided with a small metal hook, 41, near its front edge, for the purpose of catching the rubber loop 1, secured to the bottom (Z to be used when the file is full and ready to be inserted in the case E.

I have devised a novel method of securing the loop 1 to the bottom 0?, which is shown in Fig. 12, wherein 0 is a semicircular slit, terminating in holes t I, forming a tongue that may be lifted to pass the loop over it and then pressed back into place. The loop lies loosely in the holes t, and cannot escape without again forcing the tongue out of place. The loop is so light or small as not to bein the way when not in use. Generally the loop T will be regarded as sufiicient, without the aid of spring 1), to hold the contained. papers flat and compressed in connection with the permanent case E.

In the drawings I have shown the back of the file F inscribed to indicate the contents of the permanent volume. If preferred, this inscription may also be applied to the closed face of the case E, and said face be thus adapted to be presented outwardly on the shelf. If this is done, the corresponding inscription should be retained on the fileback to avoid displacement of the files in their permanent cases when more than one are opened at once. When the inscription is applied to the case E the back may be rounded, so as to present more the appearance of a book as it stands with others on the shelf.

An index to completed volumes inscribed on a separate sheet may be laid removably in the bottom of the current-case, beneath the file proper, F, or within the file beneath the index.

The thumb-notches e of the case E are ar ranged so as to admit the lip d, in order that the latter may not interfere with the close packing of the whole.

For all other purposes than that of commercial convenience, as above stated, it is not essential that the case E fit within the currentcase; but the latter may be made of the same inner dimensions as the case E, or, in other words, only large enough to receive the file F.

Persons having only limited use for a file may prefer to dispense wholly with the distinct current-case, using only the parts E and F, which obviously constitute a complete inclosed file only less convenient than the special current-ease and file, as described; or the file F may be used currently without either the special (current A B 0) case or the case E, the rising and falling cover M, with the loop 1' or other suitable device for holding the cover M down, serving sufficiently to inclose and protect the contents until the file is filled and ready to be inserted in its permanent case E.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a system of files, a current-case, A B G, a file, F, provided with an expansible index which is bodily removable, with its contents, from said current-case, and a permanent case, E, adapted to receive said file without disturbing said contents, substantially as set forth.

2. As an article of manufacture, the case A B O, the inner case, E, and the file F, adapted to be put up one within another, as illus' trated in Fig. 2, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In combination with the open file F, having the ledge l and an expansible index, as shown, the stiff lid M, having the flexible portion h located or extending somewhat forward of the front edge of the ledge l, whereby the main part m of said lid may be turned back over the ledge l in use, substantially as described.

4. The lid-spring 19, secured to the lid M, in combination with the open file F, provided with an expansible index, and the case E, constructed with one open face, as shown, to receive the file, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. The open file F, provided with an expansible index, having a-spring, p or 17, applied to the rigid sheet M covering said index, in combination with a separate inclosing-case, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. The open file F, having the rigid sheet M covering the index, and provided with the inclined spring 19', in combination with the current-case A B 0, having a hinged cover, and the permanent case E, into which the file is'slid, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS H. BROWN, JR.

Witnesses: I

M. E. DAYTON, JOHN G. SPRAGUE. 

